I love blue...

I love blue...particularly 'Nigella' duck-egg blue.

I love it in the kitchen...

I love it in the bathroom...

I love it in my office.

I am drawn to it whenever I go shopping. This gorgeous picture by the talented Askey was a must for the bathroom.

As for my latest purchase from Habitat today... can't wait to get these out on my table outside.

Even my friends buy me lovely things that coordinate beautifully! Thanks Louise for these scrummy chocs!

I know it's not duck-egg blue, but they do have that obligatory dash of red. So how could I not purchase these beautiful tins (ah, tins - another obsession!) whilst in Budapest.

I know this radiator isn't in the most pristine of conditions, but it ticks all the right boxes as far as colour is concerned.

And as soon as I saw this in the book shop I had to buy it for Ruby. I had her in mind of course. It had nothing to do with the fact that I could leave it lying around in the kitchen, the bathroom, my office and it would look right at home!

And just before you think I am totally obsessed (which of course I am!) here's another thing I picked up from Habitat today...

Doesn't it go beautifully with my blue?

Birthday Take 2...

My big boy is 11. How did that happen? It seems that my parenting journey started 11 years ago. And I'm still learning! This must be one of the hardest jobs in the world - but one of the most rewarding. I love my work - I just LOVE having Blueberry Park, but it doesn't compare one iota to being Mummy to my 3 babes.

Poor Samuel started his birthday with first day of SATS (National tests in England for 11 year olds) although he didn't seem too phased by the ordeal. And by the time I picked him and 6 friends up from school they were all in a very jovial mood (translate that as 'completely hyper' - what had I let myself in for?!)

Off we walked to the park for an obligatory game of footy. (Samuel would spend his life on a footy pitch given half a chance.

A laze on the grass, a stroll up the hill and off home we went for pizza and birthday cake - and an early night before I would be repremanded by the teachers for throwing this year's Year 6 SATS results into disarray!

So, I can take a sigh of relief that party season is over for a while ( apart from a delayed 'proper' party after SATS in a couple of weeks time)...until it's my baby turning 7 (7? that REALLY can't be possible) in August...

A bit of crafting

I guess it's about time I talked about crafting! After all isn't that what we are all interested in?

I feel a bit of a fraud really. I have no formal training at all - apart from the odd delightful ceramics course or so.

I have however been knitting and sewing for as long as I can remember. My grandma taught me to sew and we had a fab babysitter who let my sister and me stay up 'til all hours (hope you aren't reading Mum!) knitting with her.

The result is a bit of this...

and a bit of this...

and a whole load of this...

I think all this early days making ingrained the pleasure and desire for handmade originality. Hence it was only natural tha I should start a business promoting it. I was very keen to ditch my teaching phase and move on and thus Blueberry Park was born. I love being involved with the crafting community and have made so many friends as a consequence.

My only regret? Not having enough time to do more of my own crafts...too many ideas, too little time...

You were warned...

Boy, oh boy, what a weekend! First, the birthday party...

then the sleepover...

then the escapee rabbit in the night...


and it all started out so well...


It was my number 2, Noah's, Special Day. 9 years old. I'm not sure who was more excited - his little sister (quite possibly), his mummy (almost definitely), his daddy (maybe) or his big brother (no way!) I think the winner was Noah himself!

With the usual childlike countdown going on for months, (Ruby is definitely champion of this game in this house with the countdown for her turning 7 starting on August 9th - she was 6 on August 8th!) the day finally arrived. This boy is very easily pleased, which makes throwing a party, buying presents a pleasure - and as long as there is plenty of this (thank you Auntie Alex!)...
and this (big thanks Grandma and Grandad)...

my 9 year old boy is happy!

And what's more - we get to do it all get next week for this big guy!

Matryoshka

I have an obsession at the moment... with matryoshka dolls.

It started with this, went via here and who knows where it will end up.

I'm hoping to start doing some crafting with matryoshka designs. I can't decide whether to do a card first, or a cushion. Hmmm, let's see...

First I need to make one of these for a little boy called... (shh, he might be looking)